Well, I'm making up a run of lead hammers for self and a few friends. I have a few choices here, that is several kinds of salvage. I have some wheelweights, also some linotype from years ago. I assume that since the linotype was scrapped, it was at the end of it's life. Also, some lead shot for reloading shotshells, in larger sizes. Also some lead that's pretty soft, maybe pure.

So, I've already tried the near pure and the shot, and found both pretty soft for my purpose. Which would you think would be the hardest, the wheelweights or the linotype?

Thanks, Tim

garyphansen

10-17-2008, 09:12 PM

Soft is OK. If you want harder melt some Aluminum chips and ad them to the melt. Gary P. Hansen

gzig5

10-17-2008, 09:17 PM

Linotype should be much harder than wheelweights, but may be brittle and shatter or chip. I'd suggest mixing 50/50 lino and wheelweights . Should be plenty hard and still ductile.

Aluminum melts at way too high a temp to be added to lead. You could also add straight tin (1:20) to harden it up, but tin is a bit pricey.

Greg

fishfrnzy

10-17-2008, 09:18 PM

Supposedly to cast hard lead bullets you mix wheel weights with lynotype (can't recall the percentages just now) and drop hot bullets in water to quench as soon as lead is solid. DO NOT GET ANY WATER IN YOUR HOT LEAD OR BOOM / YOU WILL HAVE A BAD DAY !

I have not pesonally done this but it is described here:

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/alloyhardness/index.asp

Boucher

10-17-2008, 10:56 PM

Thirty five years ago wheel weights were similar in hardness to linotype. Both had similar ammounts of Lead and and Antimony (seems like 10%). The Wheel weights usually needed a small amount of Tin added to fill out the sharp coners on lubrication grooves. Recently I have been melting wheel weights for fishing sinkers and its properties have changed significantly. I think that I would opt for the Linotype. I was in the Doctors office today and there was an article about the effects of airborn lead contamination in the battery recalamation industry. Work outdoors or with good ventalation. Also wash your hands after handling lead particularly before you handle any food.

Highpower

10-18-2008, 01:48 AM

So, I've already tried the near pure and the shot, and found both pretty soft for my purpose. Which would you think would be the hardest, the wheelweights or the linotype?

Thanks, Tim
Linotype is definitely the harder alloy. Too hard for a lead hammer IMO. I would suggest a 9:1 ratio, (wheel weight / linotype) in order to harden the wheel weight alloy slightly. (Added antimony.)

By the way, that linotype is like GOLD to us bullet casters.... :D

http://www.pnjresources.com/Hardness%20of%20Lead%20Alloys.htm

JCHannum

10-18-2008, 07:56 AM

By the way, that linotype is like GOLD to us bullet casters.... :D

http://www.pnjresources.com/Hardness%20of%20Lead%20Alloys.htm

Thanks for the hardness chart, I was looking for it recently and could not turn it up.

What is the going rate for linotype metal? I have a pile of ingots and plan to get rid of them at the next gun show.

gzig5

10-18-2008, 08:55 AM

Jim,
Wheel weights are going for about a $1 a pound plus shipping on ebay. Linotype when I've seen it, is about $1.50-$3 per pound.

Greg

Highpower

10-18-2008, 01:46 PM

Thanks for the hardness chart, I was looking for it recently and could not turn it up.

What is the going rate for linotype metal? I have a pile of ingots and plan to get rid of them at the next gun show.
Glad to be of some assistance... :)

Last time I saw any lino for sale it was (as gzig5 pointed out) about $3 @ lb. Fortunately, having worked in the automotive industry for many years now - I've never had to pay for used wheel weights, and have a few hundred pounds on hand in ingots. Also had a friend that worked in the printing industry, that provided me with an equal amount of linotype for free. I plan on hanging onto ALL of it for as long as I am able to keep casting.... :D

rustyswarf

10-18-2008, 09:57 PM

I would suggest the 50/50 wheelweight/linotype mix. the tin and antimony will make it tougher and less prone to shatter or chip. If it is still too soft, you can take you hammer heads and drop them in a 5 gal. bucket of water as soon as they solidify. Leave them in until they are cool enough to retrieve by hand. It will raise the hardness level several points. Used to own a modern, strong, .45-70 rifle, but it had shallow rifling. Shot cast lead in it. Only way to drive them at a decent speed and have acceptable accuracy was make a very hard lead bullet.

boslab

10-18-2008, 10:02 PM

try mazak or whatever its called over your side, pressure die casting alloy, i have a hammer made of it that came from a toy car plant, its hard and dense.
mark